the faith of men-第28节

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play；　and　repeated　it　over　and　over　to　make　sure；　unaware　that

madness　is　ever　prone　to　express　itself　in　make…believe　and　play。



One　midwinter　day；　Father　Champreau；　a　Jesuit　missionary；　pulled

into　Twenty　Mile。　　Bonner　fell　upon　him　and　dragged　him　into　the

post；　and　clung　to　him　and　wept；　until　the　priest　wept　with　him

from　sheer　compassion。　　Then　Bonner　became　madly　hilarious　and　made

lavish　entertainment；　swearing　valiantly　that　his　guest　should　not

depart。　　But　Father　Champreau　was　pressing　to　Salt　Water　on　urgent

business　for　his　order；　and　pulled　out　next　morning；　with　Bonner's

blood　threatened　on　his　head。



And　the　threat　was　in　a　fair　way　toward　realization；　when　the

Toyaats　returned　from　their　long　hunt　to　the　winter　camp。　　They　had

many　furs；　and　there　was　much　trading　and　stir　at　Twenty　Mile。

Also；　Jees　Uck　came　to　buy　beads　and　scarlet　cloths　and　things；　and

Bonner　began　to　find　himself　again。　　He　fought　for　a　week　against

her。　　Then　the　end　came　one　night　when　she　rose　to　leave。　　She　had

not　forgotten　her　repulse；　and　the　pride　that　drove　Spike　O'Brien

on　to　complete　the　North…West　Passage　by　land　was　her　pride。



〃I　go　now；〃　she　said；　〃good…night；　Neil。〃



But　he　came　up　behind　her。　　〃Nay；　it　is　not　well；〃　he　said。



And　as　she　turned　her　face　toward　his　with　a　sudden　joyful　flash；

he　bent　forward；　slowly　and　gravely；　as　it　were　a　sacred　thing；　and

kissed　her　on　the　lips。　　The　Toyaats　had　never　taught　her　the

meaning　of　a　kiss　upon　the　lips；　but　she　understood　and　was　glad。



With　the　coming　of　Jees　Uck；　at　once　things　brightened　up。　　She　was

regal　in　her　happiness；　a　source　of　unending　delight。　　The

elemental　workings　of　her　mind　and　her　naive　little　ways　made　an

immense　sum　of　pleasurable　surprise　to　the　over…civilized　man　that

had　stooped　to　catch　her　up。　　Not　alone　was　she　solace　to　his

loneliness；　but　her　primitiveness　rejuvenated　his　jaded　mind。　　It

was　as　though；　after　long　wandering；　he　had　returned　to　pillow　his

head　in　the　lap　of　Mother　Earth。　　In　short；　in　Jees　Uck　he　found

the　youth　of　the　worldthe　youth　and　the　strength　and　the　joy。



And　to　fill　the　full　round　of　his　need；　and　that　they　might　not　see

overmuch　of　each　other；　there　arrived　at　Twenty　Mile　one　Sandy

MacPherson；　as　companionable　a　man　as　ever　whistled　along　the　trail

or　raised　a　ballad　by　a　camp…fire。　　A　Jesuit　priest　had　run　into

his　camp；　a　couple　of　hundred　miles　up　the　Yukon；　in　the　nick　of

time　to　say　a　last　word　over　the　body　of　Sandy's　partner。　　And　on

departing；　the　priest　had　said；　〃My　son；　you　will　be　lonely　now。〃

And　Sandy　had　bowed　his　head　brokenly。　　〃At　Twenty　Mile；〃　the

priest　added；　〃there　is　a　lonely　man。　　You　have　need　of　each　other；

my　son。〃



So　it　was　that　Sandy　became　a　welcome　third　at　the　post；　brother　to

the　man　and　woman　that　resided　there。　　He　took　Bonner　moose…hunting

and　wolf…trapping；　and；　in　return；　Bonner　resurrected　a　battered

and　way…worn　volume　and　made　him　friends　with　Shakespeare；　till

Sandy　declaimed　iambic　pentameters　to　his　sled…dogs　whenever　they

waxed　mutinous。　　And　of　the　long　evenings　they　played　cribbage　and

talked　and　disagreed　about　the　universe；　the　while　Jees　Uck　rocked

matronly　in　an　easy…chair　and　darned　their　moccasins　and　socks。



Spring　came。　　The　sun　shot　up　out　of　the　south。　　The　land　exchanged

its　austere　robes　for　the　garb　of　a　smiling　wanton。　　Everywhere

light　laughed　and　life　invited。　　The　days　stretched　out　their　balmy

length　and　the　nights　passed　from　blinks　of　darkness　to　no　darkness

at　all。　　The　river　bared　its　bosom；　and　snorting　steamboats

challenged　the　wilderness。　　There　were　stir　and　bustle；　new　faces；

and　fresh　facts。　　An　assistant　arrived　at　Twenty　Mile；　and　Sandy

MacPherson　wandered　off　with　a　bunch　of　prospectors　to　invade　the

Koyokuk　country。　　And　there　were　newspapers　and　magazines　and

letters　for　Neil　Bonner。　　And　Jees　Uck　looked　on　in　worriment；　for

she　knew　his　kindred　talked　with　him　across　the　world。



Without　much　shock；　it　came　to　him　that　his　father　was　dead。　　There

was　a　sweet　letter　of　forgiveness；　dictated　in　his　last　hours。

There　were　official　letters　from　the　Company；　graciously　ordering

him　to　turn　the　post　over　to　the　assistant　and　permitting　him　to

depart　at　his　earliest　pleasure。　　A　long；　legal　affair　from　the

lawyers　informed　him　of　interminable　lists　of　stocks　and　bonds；

real　estate；　rents；　and　chattels　that　were　his　by　his　father's

will。　　And　a　dainty　bit　of　stationery；　sealed　and　monogramed；

implored　dear　Neil's　return　to　his　heart…broken　and　loving　mother。



Neil　Bonner　did　some　swift　thinking；　and　when　the　Yukon　Belle

coughed　in　to　the　bank　on　her　way　down　to　Bering　Sea；　he　departed

departed　with　the　ancient　lie　of　quick　return　young　and　blithe　on

his　lips。



〃I'll　come　back；　dear　Jees　Uck；　before　the　first　snow　flies；〃　he

promised　her；　between　the　last　kisses　at　the　gang…plank。



And　not　only　did　he　promise；　but；　like　the　majority　of　men　under

the　same　circumstances；　he　really　meant　it。　　To　John　Thompson；　the

new　agent；　he　gave　orders　for　the　extension　of　unlimited　credit　to

his　wife；　Jees　Uck。　　Also；　with　his　last　look　from　the　deck　of　the

Yukon　Belle；　he　saw　a　dozen　men　at　work　rearing　the　logs　that　were

to　make　the　most　comfortable　house　along　a　thousand　miles　of　river

frontthe　house　of　Jees　Uck；　and　likewise　the　house　of　Neil

Bonnerere　the　first　flurry　of　snow。　　For　he　fully　and　fondly

meant　to　come　back。　　Jees　Uck　was　dear　to　him；　and；　further；　a

golden　future　awaited　the　north。　　With　his　father's　money　he

intended　to　verify　that　future。　　An　ambitious　dream　allured　him。

With　his　four　years　of　experience；　and　aided　by　the　friendly

cooperation　of　the　P。　C。　Company；　he　would　return　to　become　the

Rhodes　of　Alaska。　　And　he　would　return；　fast　as　steam　could　drive；

as　soon　as　he　had　put　into　shape　the　affairs　of　his　father；　whom　he

had　never　known；　and　comforted　his　mother；　whom　he　had　forgotten。



There　was　much　ado　when　Neil　Bonner　came　back　from　the　Arctic。　　The

fires　were　lighted　and　the　fleshpots　slung；　and　he　took　of　it　all

and　called　it　good。　　Not　only　was　he　bronzed　and　creased；　but　he

was　a　new　man　under　his　skin；　with　a　grip　on　things　and　a

seriousness　and　control。　　His　old　companions　were　amazed　when　he

declined　to　hit　up　the　pace　in　the　good　old　way；　while　his　father's

crony　rubbed　hands　gleefully；　and　became　an　authority　upon　the

reclamation　of　wayward　and　idle　youth。



For　four　years　Neil　Bonner's　mind　had　lain　fallow。　　Little　that　was

new　had　been　added　to　it；　but　it　had　undergone　a　process　of

selection。　　It　had；　so　to　say；　been　purged　of　the　trivial　and

superfluous。　　He　had　lived　quick　years；　down　in　the　world；　and；　up

in　the　wilds；　time　had　been　given　him　to　organize　the　confused　mass

of　his　experiences。　　His　superficial　standards　had　been　flung　to

the　winds　and　new　standards　erected　on　deeper　and　broader

generalizations。　　Concerning　civilization；　he　had　gone　away　with

one　set　of　values；　had　returned　with　another　set　of　values。　　Aided；

also；　by　the　earth　smells　in　his　nostrils　and　the　earth　sights　in

his　eyes；　he　laid　hold　of　the　inner　significance　of　civilization；

beholding　with　clear　vision　its　futilities　and　powers。　　It　was　a

simple　little　philosophy　he　evolved。　　Clean　living　was　the　way　to

grace。　　Duty　performed　was　sanctification。　　One　must　live　clean　and

do　his　duty　in　order　that　he　might　work。　　Work　was　salvation。　　And

to　work　toward　life　abundant；　and　more　abundant；　was　to　be　in　line

with　the　scheme　of　things　and　the　will　of　God。



Primarily；　he　was　of　the　city。　　And　his　fresh　earth　grip　and　virile

conception　of　humanity　gave　him　a　finer　sense　of　civilization　and

endeared　civilization　to　him。　　Day　by　day　the　people　of　the　city

clung　closer　to　him　and　the　world　loomed　more　colossal。　　And；　day

by　day；　Alaska　grew　more　remote　and　less　real。　　And　then　he　met

Kitty　Sharona　woman　of　his　own　flesh　and　blood　and　kind；　a　woman

who　put　her　hand　into　his　hand　and　drew　him　to　her；　till　he　forgot

the　day　and　hour　and　the　time　of　the　year　the　first　snow　flies　on

the　Yukon。



Jees　Uck　moved　into　her　grand　log…house　and　dreamed　away　three

golden　summer　months。　　Then　came　the　autumn；　post…haste　before　the

down　rush　of　winter。　　The　air　grew　thin　and　sharp；　the　days　thin

and　short。　　The　river　ran　sluggishly；　and　skin　ice　formed　in　the

quiet　eddies。　　All　migratory　life　departed　south；　and　silence　fell

upon　the　land。　　The　first　snow　flurries　came；　and　the　last　homing

steamboat　bucked　desperately　into　the　running　mush　ice。　　Then　came

the　hard　ice；　solid　cakes　and　sheets；　till　the　Yukon　ran　level　with

its　banks。　　And　when　all　this　ceased　the　river　stood　still　and　the

blinking　days　lost　themselves　in　the　darkness。



John　Thompson；　the　new　agent；　laughed；　but　Jees　Uck　had　faith　in

the　mischances　of　sea　and　river。　　Neil　Bonner　might　be　frozen　in

anywhere　between　Chilkoot　Pass　and　St。　Michael's；　for　the　la